EYEBALL LAVA CAKE

Eyeball Lava Cake image

This eyeball cake is the stuff of Halloween nightmares: When you slice into it, a gush of raspberry jam flows out.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories dessert

Time 3h30m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

One 15.25-ounce box white cake mix (plus required ingredients)
Two 13-ounce jars raspberry jam
4 blue flat taffy candy strips, such as Airheads
Nonstick cooking spray, for the parchment and spatula
2 black gummy candies
Two 1/4-ounce packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
Pinch kosher salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
One .67-ounce tube red decorating gel

Steps:

Prepare and bake the cake in a 10-cup Bundt pan according to the package directions. Let cool completely, then transfer to a large serving platter.
Microwave the jam until pourable, about 2 minutes. If there are seeds, strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Pour enough jam into the hole of the cake to fill it to the top. Reserve the remaining jam.
Microwave the taffy until soft and pliable, about 10 seconds. Put the taffy in between two 8-inch-long pieces of parchment sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Roll it out to a 1/8-inch-thick circle using a rolling pin, then cut it with a 5-inch biscuit cutter. Warm the black gummies and roll into a marble-sized piece. Place in the middle of the blue taffy circle and roll out to create a pupil.
Stir together the gelatin and 1/3 cup cold water in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
Combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt and 2/3 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved. (If any granules of sugar stick to the side of the pan, brush them back into the sugar-water mixture with a wet pastry brush.) Attach a candy thermometer to the pan and increase the heat to medium high. Cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, about 5 minutes.
With the mixer on low, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the softened gelatin. Once all the syrup is added, increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture is very thick and holds soft peaks, about 15 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
Coat a rubber spatula with cooking spray and while still warm, spread the marshmallow frosting all over the bundt cake. Let sit at room temperature until the frosting is completely cool and set, about 1 hour.
Place the blue taffy piece centered on top of the cake. Use the red decorating gel to draw bloodshot lines on the outside of the cake. Serve with a butcher's cleaver.